Although the west has had to wait much longer for each release in the Sega Ages line on the Nintendo Switch, the demand for this retro-inspired series has been better than anticipated – with games such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Out Run and Alex Kidd in Miracle World selling particularly well in Europe. Sadly, the series hasn't had quite the same reception within Japan.
During a recent interview with Famitsu, Sega Ages senior producer Kagasei Shimomura elaborated on the current situation locally, revealing how sales of the Sega Ages games on the Switch had been "frustrating" and are less than half of the Sega 3D Classics Collection on the 3DS.
"Honestly speaking the Japanese sales need to be better, and I take responsibility for that. This market is becoming more and more niche, and while each series being on different platforms means there is little point in directly comparing them, the reality is that sales are less than half of the 3D Classics Collection."
Shimomura also said how he wanted to maintain good relations with players, but warned it could take some time to make the second phase of titles in this line a reality. Supervisor Yosuke Okunari added his own thoughts, stating how the team needed to do a better job at satisfying its Japanese fans.
"We definitely need to work harder to satisfy our Japanese fan base."
Are you surprised to hear regions like Europe are showing more interest in the Sega Ages line than Japan? Have you been buying these games yourself? Leave your comments below.
[source nintendoeverything.com, via siliconera.com]
Comments 117
So, Japanese gamers were tired with whatever SEGA did ?
'but warned it could take some time to make the second phase of titles in this line a reality'
That's definitely not what we wanted to hear,they've been slow to release as it is. Perhaps Sega will pull the plug? They said the other day that they are going to cut back on digital only releases.
I really wish they would make a few physical collections of the Sega Ages titles once they have enough. For examples, a Sega Ages Racing Collection, a RPG Collection, an Arcade Collection, etc. Maybe about 2-5 titles per collection. I'd be interested in that as they are pretty sweet games. Also, I desperately keep hoping for an Arcade perfect Sega Ages version of Virtual On. I know it's a long shot but man would that be awesome.
@OorWullie
Will the plug to do what?
Man this is a bummer... I love this series and hate to hear this. I will say that while I like their selection of games thus far on switch there is such a massive catalogue of hits they have overlooked that I think would be easy wins for them if they released them. Here's hoping they keep releasing them!
I'm excited to play Virtua Racing on my Switch.
And yes, I do have a Japanese account but it's a hassle to buy those cards or get my credit card to work for Yen. I did it once for Kamiko and that was enough. I'll wait patiently for it to come to the USA eShop.
If SEGA continues this way, it'll eventually be bought by Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft...
Virtua Racing was literally the only one that I felt warranted the treatment. Did we really need a bunch of Genesis ports, especially of games already in the 50-game collection?
More games like VR and byeond would've done wonders to the lineup. A lot of it just feels so misguided.
Maybe they would sell better if they’d move on beyond Mega Drive/Master System/Old Arcade Games which everyone already bought 90 times and played to death?
@RyanSilberman Outrun in HD with wide-screen and 60fps was definitely worth it. Phantasy Star was also improved massively with the addition of a dungeon map and FM sound. Other than that though I agree, the releases have been pretty underwhelming.
SEGA AGES Phantasy Star is very cool, but their selections have been a bit too conservative so far. They really need to give this treatment to some of their Saturn classics.
When Konami is releasing Arcade, Castlevania, and Contra collections (each with 8 games) for $19.99, it's kind of hard to swallow these individual releases at $7.99. Sega needs to learn from Konami and Capcom. They have SO many great games they could be releasing in bulk. Bundle these babies up and then you'll see the sales.
@RetroTyGuy Those are direct ports. The SEGA Ages releases have extra bells and whistles.
@MattFox
People have been saying this for years, yet they themselves bought Atlus.
If they can buy Atlus, they probably are in a stable enough financial situation. They also are really successful with arcade games, which are still a thing in Japan.
Disney should buy it and build a theme park with it to compete with Nintendo Land in Universal Studio's. Sonic is still among the most recognizable gaming mascots and deserves much better.
I think with the game line up and marketing, it could do much better
@RyanSilberman I have had similar thoughts. I love my Genesis (still play it), and really want Sega Ages to do well. But I have yet to buy a single one (though I am probably picking up Virtua Racing this weekend, once I check the ol' piggy bank) because when I thought long and hard about it, the Genesis collection was so much of a better value buy (I LOVE the collection).
Now if they'd start putting Saturn and Dreamcast games into the Ages line-up, SIGN ME UP! Or even Genesis games that are not in the Collection — but with the Mini coming down the pike with some genuinely exciting new inclusions not found in the collection (Bloodlines! Earthworm Jim! Ecco!), I suspect Ages will need to shake it up even more to attract market attention.
Japan is not where it's at anymore, the money and sadly for the most part game development has left Japan behind.
@rdm22 “because when I thought long and hard about it, the Genesis collection was so much of a better value buy (I LOVE the collection).”
I’ve put more than 100 hours into it and I’ve still not touched most of the RPGs. It has completely changed how I want my retro games. Give me big compilations at a decent price and I’m sold.
Seattle Games isn't popular in Japan? Go figure. Nintendo was always 4x more popular in Japan than Sega. Pander to North Americans (50% 16bit market share) as well as Europeans who didn't know what a Nintendo was until the Wii.
Feels a bit unfair to compare sales of a collection to individual releases that - albeit remastered - are very old games. Now, each game on its own is most often a "maybe" that'll turn into a "not now" once realising how many other great new games are still in backlog.
@Illusion
C’mon now, I hope that’s in jest. 🤨
“So obviously the solution is massive delays between Japanese release and Western release. Clearly.”
Come on Sega.
@Fandabidozi
He’s overstating the Nintendo in Europe situation but the Megadrive didn’t do particularly well in Japan. If they want to succeed in Japan with the Ages games they’d be better served concentrating on Arcade and Saturn games, especially as they haven’t been re-released nearly as much elsewhere.
@RyanSilberman out of the 19 announced only 4 are genesis/mega drive ports thou
@Fandabidozi until the SNES came out Sega had majority market share here in Australia and I’ve heard did well in Europe too. The Sega Master System was huge here, all my friends had one, hardly a NES in site as it was poorly distributed and marketed in Australia...
Icing on the cake was the Master System had nicer graphics
An M2 conversion is as good as gold so it’s disappointing to hear. Sega lets that Genesis collection crap go on the market with game breaking lag (for me).
@NinChocolate and no Ecco the Dolphin!
@Solomon18 exactly
@Angelic_Lapras_King not enough bells and whistles to justify the 7.99 pricetag.
Why is it taking so long for Sega to bring Virtua Racing to the west I believe if you buy off the jap eshop and your console is set to English then text is displayed in English so come on Sega there is no excuse
Virtua Racing aside, I dont think the choice of games has been very good so far and given how many others are put into collections these days then perhaps these should have as well. When this initiative was announced, myself and many others were looking forward to those forgotten classics from the likes of Saturn and Dreamcast such as your Panzer Dragoons and Shining Force 3 or a Skies of Arcadia, we weren't looking forward to Sonic 1 yet again, I mean I'd much rather have the Master System versions of Sonic 1 and 2 which aren't available on almost every platform already
@MattFox Being bought by Nintendo wouldn’t be such a bad thing. They at least know how to treat their past IP
I don’t think that Saturn games can be easily emulated in any console or pc they just had an overly complicated structure to begin with so I’m not holding my breath for these but I wanna see the likes of Daytona, outrun 2 ,crazy taxi, I mean an arcade perfect Daytona was released on ps3 so use that code Sega and adapt it for switch
@RetroTyGuy +1 for this. Konami got criticised for the Arcade Classics Collection but at least they were about £2 a game.
I'm surprised those sell well in Europe.
I bought some Sega retro games for 3DS with 3D effect, much cheaper.
I'm not gonna buy them more expensive for the Switch, especially won't double dip.
If they will be much cheaper (you know, you can buy Xbox Classic games for Xbox One X with 4K treatment, like the old, good Star Wars games for only 990 HUF which is less than 4 USD), I'll think about it.
Until then, retro collections are fine for me.
Those old games aren't worth more than a couple of bucks today.
I think it would be a bad idea for Nintendo to buy them and they are too proud of a company to allow that to happen imho.
They need to let go of a bunch of franchises and let others develop them, they are on the right path with Street of Rage 4, Sonic Mania etc
As a Sega fan the price is right for me $10.00AU to have a definitive version. These are not straight ports.
I love me some retro, but I do think that the average consumer is going to be more interested in compilations of games than individual releases of very old games. Virtua Racing is the first game that really stands out to me and I think they need to continue that angle (Scud Race etc) rather than arcade games of the late 80s and Mega Drive/Master System games.
The MS would be best served with a compilation or two. If they're getting on with Disney now, can we have a compilation of the MS and MD Sega/Disney Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck games please?
It's a shame they are seeing this as a need to double down in Japan, rather than an opportunity to succeed elsewhere.
They should be looking at what is making the games a success and focus in that. The install base in Japan is only around 20%. Focus on the 80%!
Plus give us some Saturn games! I want to see story of Thor 2, shining force 3, panzer dragoon saga!
Love all the M2 3ds games as the 3d is the best on the system but on the switch these games add nothing to the equasion. I bought sonic but it doesn't compare to playing it in 3d. Long live the 3ds!
Maybe they should have brought the other 2 3DS Classic Collections...
Japan has the biggest retro gaming market in the world, most gamers I know in Japan already have the original consoles, collection of games and an old crt tv so that might be why they don’t sell so well on Switch.
Personally I’d like to see more from Sega’s arcade, Saturn and Dreamcast collection. I’ve seen Saturn games emulated on a Mac so I’m sure the Switch could handle it, Panzer Dragoon Trilogy would be a big seller for Sega.
They just need to go for more diverse non-genesis titles. I never had a Saturn or Dreamcast and would love to play, for example, Panzer Dragoon (1+2 being more of an action guy), Nights into Dreams, Rez, Daytona, Sega Rally Championship, House of the Dead 2, Sonic Adventure 1+2, Samba de Amigo, Space Channel 5, ... etc.
Ya know, just more interesting titles.
It’s redundant of me to say it as everyone has said it so well already, but Sega need to stop re-releasing Megadrive games over and over ad nauseum and get on with the Saturn, Dreamcast and Model 1, 2 and 3 arcade boards. People have been crying out for those for years and yet they still don’t do it.
I’d pay all the monies for a Model 1 or Model 2 game collection.
@Illusion "as well as Europeans who didn't know what a Nintendo was until the Wii."
Er......what?
@Moistnado It's around $4.50 on the Mexican eshop. And it's not discounted, it's the full price there all the time
His own words show us how limited their vision is: "oh, my product sells more there and less here, so guess what I'll do: I'll delay my products even more there, no matter if it's successful, and I'll keep banging my head against a brick wall here until people decide to buy what they've already told me they have no interest in. I'm a genius!"
If this is the head, that's why the rest of the body suffers. I don't know, but am I too naive to think that this kind of decision is stupid in terms of market strategy? Because he just told us they have a market but they don't wanna feed it o.O
Hey SEGA i can clear this up for you, whilst Outrun, TF4 and Virtua racing have all been excellent, the rest is average at best. You are sat on an absolute goldmine of classic games, possibly the greatest cache known to man. Make better choices in the releases and get them out faster. We need Scud Racer and Le mans 24hr, Revenge of Death Adder, Virtual On rather than just the usual suspects.
@Illusion I love how ridiculous you are, you must work hard at that.
This is disappointing news.
Perhaps they need to review their selection of games. They ran a poll, and then ignored it (based on the last update)
Well, let's be honest here, the Sega Ages line is cool and all, and M2 has done a stellar job as usual, but the Sega 3D Classic games are just an order of magnitude better (mostly it's the 3D that goes the extra mile).
I REALLY wish Sega would release the 3D Classics line on VR (you could play them inside a virtual Sega-themed room while still in stereoscopic 3D on the virtual screen).
Most of the games are not in the genre that Japanese gamers most desire. Only one RPG and its a dated one at that. Still waiting for Virtua Racing in the west.
I had both the SNES and Megadrive growing up and I played my Megadrive far more then my SNES. I say it was maybe a 70/30 split. Most of my friends growing up either had a megadrive or both also. Nobody I knew just had a SNES.
To me the price is high for the sega ages (if others think different then that is fine). Out of the Sega ages games released the only one I would get is Phantasy star. Even with the 25% off it now I still fell it is a bit high.
The Classic collection was a good price for what you get but the input lag for the games is what hurt me very much with it. Some games with the lag are annoying but not game breaking (like shining force which is why I bought the collection) but with games like sonic they are unplayable for me (if others don't have issues then great that they can enjoy it).
@TreonsRealm Well they do but they only release the serious stuff in Japan the 3D Classics range had 3 releases in japan, including one that had all releases in one. not to mention the bonus games they got with each they got turbo outrun, alien syndrome and such others I haven't looked into a bunch of Master System games, like the 3D ones
They need to start releasing all their AGES games in the west, then leaving us out, they would make alot more money then the ungrateful gits in Japan.
heck we are still waiting on VR, there's nothing to translate the japan releases have the English versions it's getting silly.
Heck SEGA just needs to stop pushing more and more genesis collections and just give us their top arcade games in collections
It’s really not rocket science, there is a ceiling on how many times people will keep buying the same titles again and again, definitive or not. Considering how many games sega have in the locker, many of which have never been ported or had arcade perfect conversions, it’s puzzling the choice they have made up till now. Did we really need sonic 1 again?? Start giving us Saturn titles, arcade perfect titles like revenge of death adder, outrunners, scud race, Daytona 2 etc. These will sell as they have t been released a thousand times before
I’m just waiting for Daytona USA or it’s sequel now.
I own all the best Mega drive stuff. Sega really need to concentrate on bringing games a lot of gamers haven’t played, with the rich back catalogue of arcade games they have, Virtua Racing is a gem. They need to bring all the model 1,2,3 games to switch, that I’m sure would gain a lot of interest.
@Gs69 SEGA are lazy
Sega i think has too many mega drive collections and ways to play them floating about. Maybe if had a definitive collection or lowered the overpriced individual games.
@John_Deacon - maybe Mexico can prop up the flagging sales? I bought streets of rage 1 and 2 on 3ds because the 3d made it more interesting than a tiny old rom that already gathers dust on my wii and lots of old consoles about the house, even old phones. I like the games but most people already have the 16 bit offerings in another format. Perhaps a collection that included Saturn and dreamcast games too would sell better. Maybe 'ages' should be more than one console generation.
I liked the 3ds series, because of the 3d effect, and that they work nice in portable form.. the current run is mostly nothing new, with the exception of vitua racing, which really trickled my seaside resort nostalgia.. and thus went through the trouble of buying on the jap shop..
Seems to still be a misunderstanding that Ages is JUST Genesis/ Megadrive games... so here’s the list (note the collection is majority arcade titles)
Sonic the Hedgehog (Megadrive)
Thunderforce IV (Megadrive)
Phantasy Star (Master System)
Outrun (Arcade)
Gain Ground (Arcade)
Alex Kidd in Miracle World (Master System)
Puyo Puyo (Arcade)
Virtua Racing (Arcade)
Space Harrier (Arcade)
Columns II (Arcade)
Thunderforce AC (Arcade)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Megadrive)
Puyo Puyo 2 (Arcade)
Puzzle & Action: Ichidant-R (Arcade)
Shinobi (Arcade)
G-LOC: Air Battle (Arcade)
Fantasy Zone (Arcade)
Herzog Zwei (Megadrive)
Wonder Boy in Monster Land (Arcade)
They’re just to expensive for what they are. I think the price is the biggest problem.
The trouble is, we have been able to buy many of these on 3DS, and have had our fill of them for now. About the only Mega Drive game I would want on Switch is Streets of Rage 2, and I'd also buy the Japanese Bare Knuckle 3 (because I've never played it). That's not because I dislike the Mega Drive - I used to love it - but we've just had enough for now.
Personally, I think Sega Ages would be best used as a way to supply gamers with rarer, more desired arcade games. Virtua Racing is exciting, and I hope we get more Model 1, 2 and 3 (is there any doubt Daytona would be well received?) I'd also love more System 16 and System 32 - the arcade Golden Axe hasn't been released since the Wii, and I've never been able to buy its sequel or the excellent Spider-Man (I understand the licence would be difficult for that one).
Basically, it's great that Sega is establishing its back catalogue on Switch, especially if we're going to be able to use them on Nintendo's next console too, but I just think a lot of us are waiting for more exciting games.
American market is much larger than Japanese. So if sales are still good I don't really see the problem.
I've been holding off buying the megadrive/genesis collection and dismissed the megadrive mini, thinking I'll just pick and choose what games I want from the ages range. Especially with their extra features. Looks like I may have to rethink that, as I could be waiting a long time for a decent selection in the ages range.
I also have to criticize the selection of games. Too many repeats from the 3DS classics.
Virtua Racing is excellent though.
I think the price is subjective really, the prices are in line with the neo geo and arcade archives stuff. I can afford them as they drip feed out because shock, horror I have zero interest in Nintendo first party games etc. My currrent finances put about a $20-$30 limit on game spending unless I save!
@Beatley82 @YANDMAN @Fandabidozi yes, my comment was very much in jest. I need to utilize /s more. Though I have a sneaking suspicion if Sega never got out of hardware this website would be called Segalife. Yes, I realize Nintendo has always had its fans, but many Europeans jumped ship when the Dreamcast went under (one of my favorite systems despite being a Nintendo fan). I find it odd that Sega's #1 target audience today is Japan when they were/are more popular in literally the rest of the world and virtually ignored in their "home" country in comparison. (Just poking fun at a Japanese firm purchasing Seattle Games many years ago when Sega mainly made pinball machines and other physical boardwalk games).
Give us Virtua Racing ASAP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This worries me. If Sega isn't satisfied with sales numbers then the chances of M2 extending the Sega Ages line to Saturn and Dreamcast games is less likely.
SEGA RALLY please and physical collections,I promise to buy them Sega if you release them.
Just forget japan and focus in the West. What SONY Has done with most of their IP and make tons of money
Im with Japanese players in not buying this stuff (ill support with Judgement). But Obvious that there is a demand for it here - don't keep them waiting because of Japan.
Release AGES: Panzer SAGA and it will sell a million easy.
People don't want to buy Sonic for 38th time? How strange. Some are good, as others have mentioned, Outrun is great and and a couple of others added some stuff but ultimately most of them have been released a million times and some are on that Megadrive collection so why would you buy them again.
Personally I think they should do more for each release. For instance, why can't they include the master system version of Sonic 1 with the Sonic ages release? I bet a lot of people haven't played it and it's a nice incentive. As it is I'm happy with the Sonic on my copy of the Megadrive collection.
Also, is hamster complaining about sales? A lot of their titles are way more obscure. They keep pumping them out though. So is it an issue of not making enough money or are their expectations too high?
Edit: also, give us Daytona and Jet Set!
Edit: and Crazy Taxi with the original OST and do something with Monkey Ball.
Sega need to do better in Japan but they also need to realize that Japan isn't the only place in the world. If it doesn't sell there, give us a try, we want the experience too. Don't make the same stupid mentality like what they did the Wii U version of Yakuza 1 & 2 and the Sega Saturn.
So... more SEGA AGES games to come, and faster, to the west to cater to the more receptive base? Follow the business maybe, SEGA?? Ijs...
Japanese Switch gamers don’t really buy much of anything besides 1st party. 3rd party releases over there consistently sputter and fall short, as a general trend.
Yet in the west, 3rd party releases are breaking sales records and exceeding expectations, as a general trend. Idk what the deal is over there in Japan, but it seems everyone in the entire country who buys third-party games, buys them on PS. Whereas over here in the Americas, we have a robust appreciation for 3rd party titles on Switch.
@JaxonH Nintendo had more families in Japan which is why first party software on Switch sell more over there than any other regions. You also had to realize that the people who work for Sony also buy Nintendo's product as well. Shuhei Yoshida himself is a big Nintendo fan and is a relative to some of the guys that work at Nintendo.
I think it has to do with how Sega games weren't that popular in Japan to begin with (particularly the Mark III [Master System] and Mega Drive - Saturn was quite big in Japan). Honestly, they should keep making the Sega Ages releases, especially for arcade, Saturn, and Dreamcast games. I'm already looking forward to Virtua Racing and I wanna get Phantasy Star, as well. Would love Daytona USA to get the Sega Ages treatment too...make it happen, Sega!!!
They just need to hurry up with the releases! I can't wait a year for a title or two!
For everyone harping about Sega Saturn games, the Saturn is insanely hard to emulate properly due to the way Sega designed the Saturn. Even emulators on PC don't run too well and have rampant issues. I would love to see some of these Saturn games as well, but don't hold your breath. Even M2 can only do so much.
So with that being said, hopefully this doesn't impact the Ages line. I mean, all it would take to make mad bank here in the US and EU is do a Sega Ages Sonic 3 & Knuckles release and there you go. I really enjoyed their Vintage Collection for Monster World, how about bringing that over to Switch? Going outside the box and offering Dreamcast titles could go a long way, too.
I’ve purchased every one so far! BUT- they really should, beginning with Virtua Racing, mix in some more rare titles like Virtua Cop 1/2, House of the dead 1/2 at least, Outrunners, Power Drift, Confidential Mission, Golden Ax Revenge Of Death Adder, Baku Baku, Virtua Tennis,Crazy Taxi,Jet Grind Radio, Space Channel 5, Scud Racer, Space & Planet Harrier, Quartet, Teddy Boy, Sega Rally Championship, Daytona USA, Turbo Outrun, Congo Bongo and many others! Sega is sitting on a Gold mine of classics and some of the greatest games in the world ever created!
And I like Puyo Puyo but enough now!
@ClassSonicSatAm I think you are right surely it can’t take that long it’s always the same you get reports of game appearing on the jap eshop get excited about the particular game and by the time they come west I’ve already forgotten about them now we know why they are called Sega Ages cos that’s how long it takes
@joey302 yeah love outrunners and power drift I have to resort to booting up the old Dreamcast to play power drift
@RyanSilberman The emulation in the Genesis/MD collection is absolutely horrible and has masses of lag. The difference between them and the work M2 does is night and day.
M2 is a quality dev. You have to pay for quality.
If M2 and Sega want to appeal more to Japanese gamers they might want to focus on the one SEGA system which was actually popular in Japan - the Sega Saturn. That and the big early 90s SEGA coin-ops which were big in Japan too, chiefly Virtua Fighter 1, 2 and 3.
Personally I'd like to see some of the more obscure stuff, like the Revenge of Death Adder, SCUD Race, Planet Harriers, Thunderblade, Daytona 2, and Outrunners. Stuff that either never left the arcade, or only ever received really poor ports.
Two factors here worth considering. First, Japan is Sega's home market, meaning they've gotten every release, sequel, rerelease, remaster, and port for every Sega game ever made. Even for IPs not named "Sonic" there's bound to be a certain level of saturation and jadedness there, even for beloved games like Out Run.
Here in the West we haven't been nearly as fortunate. We haven't seen a new Phantasy Star Online (let alone another installment of the original, which was last seen on the Genesis) in almost two decades. Sega didn't even bother releasing Scenarios 2 and 3 of Shining Force III for the Saturn, and its Western catalog would be missing a huge percentage of its very best games had it not been for Working Designs undertaking the task of localization. The entire North American market only received 3,000 copies of Panzer Dragoon Saga, which is regarded as one of the finest RPGs of its generation. And since Sega left console-making, Japan has continued to receive a lot of ports, remakes, and more on various platforms while the US and Europe have mostly been left with the next Sonic game. Sega's priority has ALWAYS been Japan.
That's obviously a concern, as I'm a huge fan of the Sega AGES games thus far and hope to see them continue. But if Japanese gamers are turning up their noses at these games for whatever reason, the bottom line is they aren't seeing value for the asking price, and to be fair $8 US a pop does add up quickly, especially for older games, some of which have aged better than others. Yes, M2 have done an amazing job on all of them, but they're up against (among other things) brand new current-gen titles with up to hundreds of times more gameplay time potential that sell for only four to five times more. The numbers matter.
My suggestion regarding a solution would be to create that value by offering these games both individually and as compilations, perhaps themed by platform (Arcade, Master System, Saturn, Dreamcast, etc.). That way gamers could pick and choose individual games they want or, if they're completists, invest in compilations that are cheaper on a $-per-game level.
In any case, I really, REALLY hope that Sega doesn't give up on the Sega AGES line. It's the best thing that's happened for Western Sega fans in many long years. Home market or not, that should count for something.
If it isn't doing well in Japan why do they release everything there first and take over a month to sell it in a market where it actually sells?
@ramu-chan I havent experienced those issues. The extras the M2 versions supposedly have aren't enough for me to drop $8 a piece on what are essentially the same games.
The talent is there, but it's been put to waste on ports that aren't needed. More games beyond the 16-bit era would've done wonders.
I think they should have released the 'final stage' games on 2/3DS in the west. Also, not sure why they didnt make some AGES games multiplatform, as they did last gen.
@Gs69 Only thing isn't ready, is just the manual if you try loading it on Virtua Racing with a western Switch it only shows the manuals for SEGA AGES games that been released over here that said, it shouldn't take that long just translate the manual it's been a few weeks already
release more arcade games. would love virtua cop/ Daytona /house of the dead 1 to 3 with joycon support. outrunners 2 / golden axe revenge of death adder to many to mention.
Funny how some people goes "SEGA is doomed" just because their classic games re-release line is struggling. That's like going all Nintendoomed because NES Remix is a flop.
Yakuza series is very huge in Japan, not to mention other franchises, and now include Atlus IPs too. If you think those old games are the only thing SEGA has now, you're stuck in the past.
@MrBelmont lmao. Look at F-Zero, Pikmin, Mario Party, Chibo Robo, Paper Mario. Barely exist or no good anymore. The list can go on much longer.
Wow, what a shock! /s
Seriously, these are 30+ year old games that have been re-released more times than I can count. They have been available on every console imaginable, and well emulated forever, and available on their very own plug and play consoles as well. Aren't people sick of this? It's not like Sega doesn't have great games either, they just won't re-release anything past 1992 for some reason.
@Gs69 power Drift on the Dreamcast??? I have the Saturn import but not aware of a Dreamcast version!
@MetalGear_Yoshi
You hit the nail on the head. The expectations are not only too high but totally misplaced.
Using walled off console ecosystems to force us to repurchase the same software over and over isn't sustainable. Id like to think that most intelligent people are getting tired of the nickel and diming.
The price point alone tells us they're doing it for profit rather than game preservation. Which is arrogant and greedy.
At some point Nintendo and their grimy partners are going to have to figure out a way for us to own our digital purchases going forward. These old pixel games should just run on future hardware without question. We shouldn't have to keep buying them every gen.
There's very little value in digital purchases that don't have any permanence. If I buy a game on steam, I own it forever and can play it at any point in the future. Not the case with these purposefully closed off consoles.
These games are so old that selling them for money seems ... I dunno underhanded. They should be happy there's still interest and make an attempt to preserve it rather than constantly tearing it down and reselling it.
I don't think it's surprising Sega nostalgia is stronger in the west because their strongest era was almost entirely orchestrated by Sega of America.
It’s just surprising to hear how people are still saying “oh release this game, release that game and it’s going to sell so much” when clearly the SEGA AGES line isn’t selling much overall. only a few people are going to buy it and it doesn’t warrant the work and expense put in.
The majority of the releases have been really cool arcade classics and not MegaDrive/Genesis games like most people think and I find it very interesting but even I myself haven’t bought any.
@Seacliff yay Tom Kalinski
@OdnetninAges Game Centers are dying in Japan. There's far less than there used to be even just 10 years ago. They will definitely disappear if you give them some time.
@Seacliff Absolutely this. The Mega Drive didn't do nearly as well in Japan as it did in the west. If you go shopping for retro games in Japan you will mostly find Nintendo games because that's what everyone bought back in the day. You're more likely to find PC Engine games than Mega Drive games.. Mega Drive games are rare because there's not a lot out there and they sell for high prices.
As long as they release Herzog Zwei before they quit the series...
@waluigifan1 works both ways though, people need to buy the games for Nintendo to carry on with them
@joey302 yeah it’s on Yu Suzuki game Works vol 1 not that there were any other volumes released but they must have had plans to do so it came with a cool book all in Japanese though and it has power drift outrun afterburner 2 hang on and space harrier and I swear outrun runs at a higher fps than the switch version probably doesn’t but it seems smoother but it can be pricey
Sega is cursed to have great IPs and ideas, but no clue on how to properly market them or make them appealing to the masses.
Sega Ages is really expensive for what it is, unlike the 3D Classics line that they did on 3DS (and said sold better). Give us a new Shinobi and actually try to release good things with other devs.
@ramu-chan
I agree on the Megadrive Collection. A huge disappointment. It’s cheap but that’s no use of the games don’t play right. And they really don’t.
I’m happy to pay for the work M2 do, they just need to do that work on different games. Most people will just see they can get them on a cheaper compilation and not worry about quality.
Well, Japan has been getting SEGA re-releases and remasters since the Saturn. It's no wonder.
@hakjie11 NO!
Sega games sadly have not aged so well, and as Sega has not kept up with other companies from their generation, like Nintendo, and even Sony, their games do not hold as much interest to younger gamers as no kids now are so ffamiliar with the likes of Gokden Axe and Streets of Rage. Saga's games were always a bit arcade, but if they updated their franchises with love and care for modern audiences, they may have had more interest in their retro catalogue
Their best-em up games should have DMC or Bayonetta quality combat. Sonic should have 100% playability in 3D, Phantasy Star an epic modern RPG. To maintain momentum in a back-catalogue, you need to have a modern interest in your franchises
You know, it's kinda funny and sad that all these years later, Sega still has not learned one of the key lessons that helped toss them out of the home console business, and that's their focus on Japan and trying to cater to that region at the expense of regions in the West that actually bought their systems and games.
Sega, I am typing this because you need a reality check. Most of your fanbase for your games was not Japan, it was North America, Europe, South America, and the west as a whole. Do you know why Alex Kidd are selling so well in Europe and not as good in Japan? Because the f***ing Master System was a best seller over there that even beat the NES!
The West should get everything first from you! That means all your remakes, all your ports, everything. Because the Japanese fanbase you are trying to cater to so badly does not exist outside of maybe the arcade games, the Saturn, and Yakuza.
Otherwise, Western gamers are your bread and butter! We were the ones who embraced Sonic and made him a global icon. Japan could care less about him, no matter how much you try to shove him down Japan's throat!
This quote honestly confuses me
"We definitely need to work harder to satisfy our Japanese fan base."
Who the hell cares about your Japanese fanbase that does not exist! You should be bending over backward to satisfy your Western fanbase. It was Europe and Brazil who helped save the Master System, and it was those two regions plus North America who made the Genesis/Mega Drive a massive success and made you a major player in the video game market after years of being Nintendo's b****.
Hell, even if it failed in the end, it was North America who bought Dreamcasts and tried to make it a viable system. Japan let that system die and ignored it.
Stop ignoring your loyal western fanbase. Japan outside of a few rare exceptions has never given a crap about Sega, its games, or their systems. It was the West that produced a generation of kids who are loyal to Sega to this day.
Why don't you reward that loyalty for once? Tell the Japanese fans who never supported Sega in the first place to go shove it and embrace the fans who loved your systems and games.
As soon as Virtua Racing hits North America I'm in. It just seems like SEGAs numbers are likely skewed with so many downloading from the Japanese eShop.
I’m not surprised at this. I’m more surprised that Sega got caught off guard over Japanese sales like this. The Mega Drive sold great in the North American and European markets, besting Nintendo for a while in the States, but they never sold well in Japan. The 16-bit consoles of choice in the Japanese market was the PC Engine and the Super Famicom.
Sega is going down hill then Nintendo Is going to I Don't know how to say this but god hill I guess.
@RetroTyGuy And yet those Konami packs are barebones compared to the single releases that Hamster put out for Konami at the same $7.99 price. I'd rather spend the higher price and get the better quality work.
@Bow4daBowza77 Just but it from the Japanese eshop ASAP
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